


Rusty Lake: Hotel; Guess Who's On The Menu Tonight, Dear

by The_narwhals_awaken



Series: Rusty Lake: Perspective [7]
Category: Rusty Lake | Cube Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Full Walkthrough, Game: Rusty Lake: Hotel, So there's going to be all ingredients collected, The cigars dealt with, This will be a full semi-walkthrough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:41:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26918998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_narwhals_awaken/pseuds/The_narwhals_awaken
Summary: Harvey was ready.  The guests were about to arrive for the week, and he had a big job to do.  Five meals needed to be prepared, for the five guests.  Mr. Owl and Mr. Crow were very clear on what he had to do, although the order was up to him.  Harvey was ready for his week!  But Mx. Bat at the elevator kept eyeing him oddly- perhaps it was the scents.  Death did so often carry a thick scent, after all.
Series: Rusty Lake: Perspective [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946701
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Welcome to the Hotel

It is a lovely day in 1893. Mr. Owl opens the front door to the Rusty Lake Hotel, to greet his guests and brief you on your tasks. 

“Good afternoon, let me introduce myself.” You approach the hotel, ready to get to work. “My name is Mr. Owl, I am the owner of the Rusty Lake Hotel.” A boat pulls into view, six shadowy figures in it, and only one of them familiar. “Oh look, the guests are arriving.” You see that besides Mr. Crow steering the boat, the others are Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Boar, Ms. Pheasant, Mrs. Pigeon, and Mr. Deer. “They all have their own reasons to be here, and I? I have my own reasons to let them stay. We will be having five dinners. Make sure every one of them is worth dying for. I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful week. Let’s make some memories.” 

As you approach the Hotel yourself, Mr. Owl pulls you aside to give you your instructions- the meal preparation will be left to Mr. Toad, but he will need ingredients. You need to ensure the guests are taken care of. 


	2. Mr. Deer and the Bloody Mary

Harvey circled the lobby, giving each of the guests their shrimp cocktails on Mr. Crow’s orders. None of them look to be truly happy with them, except Mr. Boar. He decided to stay away from him- he had an odd smell, and something seemed off about him. 

Night soon fell. The sky turned dark and the Lake gained its classic red hue. Inside the lobby, the phone rang. Mr. Crow simply stared, so Harvey picked it up. On the other end, Mr. Owl spoke. “Hello? Have a look at my portrait.” Turning, Harvey did so, collecting the mushrooms displayed in his palm. Since the only meal with mushrooms was deer steak with mushrooms and rosemary, Harvey decided to meet with Mr. Deer that night. Mx. Bat took him to floor 1, room 1, where Mr. Deer was. 

Entering Mr. Deer’s room, Harvey’s attention was drawn to the plans of the Hotel on the wall. Mr. Deer was investigating the Hotel and the Lake, trying to see what made it tick. From what he’d heard from Mr. Owl, that was quite typical- but he was too blind and too hasty to do it properly. Below the diagram was a lamp and a pot under a case. Mr. Deer demanded a drink. On the other side of the seat where Mr. Deer sat was a table with a glass and a menu card, with a deer skull hanging on the wall. Turning right, Harvey saw a lab table, with balances, a distillery, and water beneath a picture. The Lake was provident in Its choice of rooms. Turning again saw the door, a bucket, two butterflies pinned to a piece of cardboard, a grinder, and a cabinet with four drawers. Turning one last time saw two windows and a plant on a lockbox. 

Harvey turned back, and collected the bucket and the jar from the grinder. From the drawer cabinet, he picked up a box of matches. He turned back again to the weights, marking down them for use. Once done with that, he returned to the lockbox and input the key, revealing a knife, which he took. Opening the right-hand window, he used the jar from the grinder to catch the butterfly that landed on the sill. It, too, was pinned to the cardboard, and when he followed the key from above the lab equipment, he found a seed. 

At the other window, there was a winch, which Harvey attached the bucket to, collecting Lake water. He used this water and the seed to grow a plant, collecting the key from behind the lamp. He lit the lamp and then collected the seeds, grinding them in the grinder. 

He turned to the water, pouring from one vial to another until he had 8dl of water. Adding the water and the powdered seeds to the distillery, he made the poison. 

Turning back to Mr. Deer, he used the knife to cut off the tip of his right antler, releasing blood which was caught in the glass. Harvey also grabbed the flask of vodka that was tucked behind the seat. He added each of the three things he had- blood, vodka, and poison- to the drink, but something was missing- Tabasco sauce!

Turning to the deer skull, he poked at the antlers until both were full-grown- releasing the rosemary as well. Poking at one once more, he quickly scooped up the tabasco from the skull’s nostril. Adding it to the drink, he served it to Mr. Deer. After waiting for the unpleasant gargling to die off, he collected the meat needed. The first dinner’s ingredients were collected!

The next morning, Harvey delivered the ingredients to Mr. Toad. Once they were cooked, he waited with bated breath for the results of the dinner. Nobody would notice, they were all either too cutthroat or too self-obsessed to push past the Lake’s gentle nudges. After all had eaten, he sat back in relief. Full marks, and if nobody cared now, nobody would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit less internal monolouge, but Harvey's just doing his thing. Enjoy!


	3. Mr. Rabbit and the Show Gone Wrong

Harvey was walking through the lobby, wondering which guest was next. Mr. Crow quietly cawed to get his attention, opening his jacket to reveal a carrot. Since the only recipe with carrots in it also required rabbit leg, he knew where he was going! Mr. Crow wasn’t as dark as he seemed, he was just quiet, and really quite helpful!

Mr. Rabbit was on floor 2, room 4. At first, when Harvey entered the room, he didn’t see Mr. Rabbit at all. He saw the bedroom and a nice lamp, he saw the odd picture, and he saw the cabinet with four drawers. In the lamp was the ace of clubs. In the bottom drawer was a knife. Knives were fun! Turning right once, he saw Mr. Rabbit- a magician, coming to the nearby Theater. There was a locked cabinet with a top hat on, two more odd pictures, a table with a clear box on it, and a second table with three small cups. Behind the top picture was the two of hearts. Harvey took the hat down, and gave it to Mr. Rabbit. After pulling the five of clubs from his ear, he made flowers come up out of the hat. Arranging them according to the order of the lower picture made them disappear- along with Mr. Rabbit’s head! Although he wasn’t dead, his head kept swapping back and forth from hat to body until he came up with a key. 

Harvey played Mr. Rabbit’s shell game. First it was a bean, then a shell, then a thimble, then a beetle, and then finally an eyeball. The Lake did so love eyes. 

Turning right again revealed the door, an odd picture, a table with a box on it, and a picture of Mr. Owl. Cutting the picture gave Harvey the beans he'd need. The box was one of those odd self-shutting boxes, with a hand pushing the lever to shut the lid. Harvey stabbed the hand and took the ring. He’d need it later, probably. The Lake didn’t provide useless puzzles. Putting the ring in the odd clear box gave him a key, and behind the box was a triangle stone. 

The last wall had a window, a poster of Mr. Rabbit’s magic show, an odd picture lower down, and a sword box. Behind the odd picture was the four of diamonds. Harvey turned left, and put all the cards on the picture above Mr. Owl’s. Once all the cards were in the right spot, he got a key. Now that he had all three, he unlocked the locked cabinet, and Mr. Rabbit got in. He also put the triangle stone in its slot. When he opened the door again, Mr. Rabbit’s head was replaced with a skull. He put the eye in the skull and closed the door, opening it to reveal Mr. Rabbit. Closing and opening the door again, he found three sharp, gleaming swords. 

When he looked, Mr. Rabbit was in the sword box, and so he inserted the swords. Such a pity that he flailed, although the box held in most of his movements. Harvey collected the leg and left a note for Housekeeping that there would be blood on the floor. 

The next morning, Harvey delivered the ingredients to Mr. Toad, who made stew. It was a lovely stew, and Harvey watched as the three remaining guests gave it full marks. What a lovely week this was shaping up to be!


	4. Mrs. Pigeon and the Shocking Bath

After night had fallen, Harvey entered the lobby. He looked around the room, trying to figure out who would be next. As he faced the windows overlooking the Lake, he saw a meteor fall. As it fell, the room darkened to black. Turning, Harvey found and pointed at Mx. Bat in each of their hiding places. Each time he did so, the lights came back on, slowly but surely. After the lights had come back on and Mr. Crow had returned- and when had he gone? Mused Harvey- he collected potatoes. So it was to be Mrs. Pigeon, then. Riding up to Floor 2, Room 5, he entered quietly. 

It was raining. It hadn’t been raining before, but now it was. Mrs. Pigeon was taking a bath. All around the room was an odd contraption- Mrs. Pigeon had been busy, and so had the Lake. 

Harvey turned. On one wall was a small generator, an odd picture, and something with a push-lever. He turned again. Next to the door was a cell, like a modified elevator. He shuddered, and leaned in. Above the door were four dials. 

Turning one more time, he saw two more pictures displaying a chick, a brain, and some odd symbols. Some of them matched up to the dials, so Harvey solved for them. He did like math. There was also an empty table, a moving picture box, and a radio on a cabinet. 

Turning back to the cell, he entered the passcode and revealed a chick. Harvey pulled the lever on the side of the cell, and froze as the chick was zapped with electricity. However, he felt the Lake nudge him, poking him towards the diagrams. With shaking hands, he pushed the lever down again. And again. On the sixth time, the lever stuck and Harvey reached into the chick’s mouth and pulled out blackberries. Then he raised the lever and hastily turned aside. 

Behind the right-hand photo, there was a piece of paper for the moving picture machine. There was another behind the radio. Harvey fiddled with the dials for a few seconds, starting slightly as a plant grew out of the screen, revealing a key. Harvey put the pieces of paper in their proper spots, activating the machine and quietly watching the image of a spinning cube. The bulb on top activated, and revealed a golden key. 

The golden key unlocked the radio’s cabinet, and revealed a plate of corn. Just the thing for Mrs. Pigeon. After she’d eaten all the corn and had sat back, satisfied, a key was revealed. 

Using the keys, Harvey freed the chick. Once it picked itself up, it scuttled over to the lever and held it down. 

Harvey turned to the empty table, finding an odd bug. Placing stones, he trapped it, then took it. He placed the beetle in the small generator, then stepped back. All three bulbs on the odd contraption were lit, and the bulb on the stand by Mrs. Pigeon was lit too. Carefully, he pushed the button, staying well away from the water. Mrs. Pigeon was electrocuted- ironic, that, since the storm outside was lightning. He even had an excuse, this time!

After morning rose, he gave the meat to Mr. Toad. After each meal, he got less and less nervous. They were down to a vain biddy and a gluttonous idiot, both of which wouldn’t notice if he stabbed them- but that would be too crude, and he was forbidden to directly harm them. The Lake would not take those kinds of sacrifices- too gauche. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the hiatus, the muse fled. I'll try to get this one wrapped up before November, but I make no promises after that. However, the next two are short, so there may be more content in your future.
> 
> Leave a kudo or a comment, tell me what you liked!
> 
> Edit: sorry about the typo in the chapter title, has been fixed!


	5. Ms. Pheasant and the Photo Shoot

Peeking through the lobby, Harvey picked up the two wine glasses left out. Such a shame, that the guests had littered. But now he had choices- so after flipping a coin, he went up to Ms. Pheasant’s room. After all, she had made a request. Ms. Pheasant was on the first floor, in the room at the end of the hall. 

Ms. Pheasant was standing on a small platform, her fan in her hand, and a screen rolled up behind her. Two unlit lamps were on the wall, one on either side, and a large potted plant completed the symmetry. Turning, Harvey saw a large cabinet with a small theater on it, a clock, three odd pictures, and a table with two drawers. He picked up the photo liquid from the cabinet, then turned to the table. In one drawer was a photo plate, and on top of the table was a tray. Carefully, he filled the tray, then soaked the plate. Once it was wet, he took it again. He turned to the music box and poked at the slip until it made the right tune. After the tune played, he collected a small key. 

On top of the clock, there was a small nubbin. Curious, Harvey poked at it. It grew into thyme, and he took it. The other ingredient! Turning the dials, the clock started to chime, dropping a tiny rolling pin. How cute! 

Turning again, Harvey saw that next to the door, there was a camera, and an empty frame. On the frame was a small gold key. 

Turning once more, he saw a large window. To the left of it was a chest of drawers, and another empty frame. In the drawers, he found a brush, a magnifying glass, and matches. On the chest, there was a locked box. Using the first key, Harvey found a small pistol. He took it. On the other side of the window was another empty frame, and a box with dials, and a third large plant on top of it. Carefully, he opened the window. A hand crawled through, and the window slammed shut. The hand worked its way out, leaving blood behind. Harvey used the brush to clean it up. He turned the dials on the locked box, opening it to reveal a crow mask. It wouldn’t do to do this out of order, now, would it? 

Turning back to the tiny theater, he opened the curtains. Two dolls stood there, a woman and a man. He gave the tiny rolling pin to the woman, who beat the man with it. A tiny axe fell from the top of the theater, and he gave it to the man. He used it to cut the woman nearly in two, revealing a tiny torch. That went to the woman, and after he lit it, she lit the man on fire. After he burnt to ashes, Harvey picked up the small golden key. Using the two keys to unlock the cabinet doors, revealing an owl mask and a lovely hat.

Turning to the table, he glanced at the frames. Such clear instructions! The last time the Lake had tested somebody, the instructions had been much less clear. However, those were bigger circumstances, and the Lake had been more energetic- and therefore more cryptic. On the table, a flyer advertised the new theater. Pity she’d never make it there, she could sing surprisingly well. 

Harvey gave Ms. Pheasant the hat and watched as one lamp lit, then painted the screen as the other blinked to life. Turning back to the camera, he placed the prepared plate in. He took the picture. A skeletal corpse on a cross developed, still holding that fan. Honestly! It was like that old boat- it’d survive an apocalypse or the Lake getting mad!

He framed the picture, and took the plate. Carefully, he repainted the new symbol, wincing slightly as he did so- blood was ever so messy to work with, and never truly got out if it dripped. Then he traded the hat for the crow mask, and returned to the camera. Another lovely picture- Mr. Crow standing in a forest like he often preferred to. He did love seeming so gloomy and ominous- although part of it was his job, delivering tools or pushes to the Lake’s latest tests, he didn’t have to be so gloomy all the time- just because he was a crow didn’t mean he had to be such a doomsmessenger! 

Carefully, he framed the second picture, changed the backdrop, and swapped out the crow mask for the owl one. He took the picture, a lovely shot of Mr. Owl, then started to bustle. Almost done, only one shot left! He framed the last picture, and gave Ms. Pheasant the pistol. She put it up to the base of her head, and Harvey ducked behind the camera one last time. He pushed the button. She fired.

Harvey took the meat down to Mr. Toad. While he’d minimized the damage to the meal part, he was still glared at for the lingering scent of gunpowder. Such a perfectionist, that Mr. Toad! 

Standing politely, Harvey watched as Mr. Boar devoured the last remaining guest. He was looking forward to that night, he really was disgusting.


	6. Mr. Boar and the Sandwiches

Since he’d gotten the red from the lobby the previous night, Harvey simply went straight to the elevator, riding up to the first floor, in the last open room, and entered to deal with Mr. Boar. He was looking forwards to this- Mr. Boar had been a most unpleasant death, but now it was finally time. 

As Harvey entered, he saw Mr. Boar, reclining on a chaise lounge, with a lantern on a winch above him and an axe mounted to one side. He took the lantern, stepping on the lounge to reach. Mr. Boar didn’t appear to notice, off in his own self-absorbed haze. Turning once, he saw a curtained entryway, the aroma from which implied what it hid, an odd picture, and a chest of drawers with a sliced loaf of bread on top. Carefully, and with no small amount of disgust, he parted the curtains and poked at the seat. There was fresh stool there, and he carefully placed it in a small bag for later use. Some days, he really disliked his job.

In the drawers was a matchbox and a head of lettuce. No, the Lake wouldn’t- yes it would. Harvey took one slice of bread, laid a leaf of lettuce on it, then placed the stool he’d just collected on that. Finishing the sandwich, he took it. While undoubtedly disgusting, there was a part of him that reveled in the thought of what Mr. Boar was about to eat. 

Turning again, he saw the door, a table with three monkey figurines, a cabinet with discs magnetized to a rotating center, and the roll of toilet paper on top of said cabinet. He took the toilet paper, then poked the first monkey figurine. Playing their game and poking each one as they clapped, he eventually retrieved a key. Spinning the centers and swapping the discs, he opened one side of the cabinet to reveal an opium pipe, the image on the cabinet matching the one on the odd picture. 

Turning once more, Harvey saw a large window, a table with a single poppy on it, a letter on the wall, and a locked cabinet with a plant on it. He plucked the poppy, collecting its already ground seeds for the pipe. Then he used the key to open the cabinet, but it was dark inside. Moving the candle in, he saw a second pattern for the cabinet. Turning back to it, he spun the centers and found himself a hammer. The letter revealed that Mr. Boar was an ambassador, and had come for his addiction issues. And by the end of his trip- he wouldn’t be addicted to anything. 

Turning back to Mr. Boar, Harvey fed him the sandwich. He ate it, only complaining about how long it had taken. After he’d disappeared behind the curtain, Harvey quickly took the hammer and knocked down the axe. He tied it to the cord, then wound it up high again. He passed the roll of toilet paper to Mr. Boar when a hoof peeked out of the curtain, and after Mr. Boar had sat back down, repeated the process. After the second sandwich, blood welled up out of the hole, and up floated tomatoes. Harvey took them, grateful that the Lake would keep them safe until he needed them- while he would do his duty, he wasn’t looking forward to dealing with where the tomatoes had come from. 

Now that he’d gotten what he needed, Harvey gave Mr. Boar the pipe and the opium, then lit it. As Mr. Boar puffed, the room filled with smoke. Harvey kept turning as the smoke thickened, dimming the room until Harvey entered the In-Between Forest, a place where the Lake’s power was absolute- except over the souls that resided there. Turning once more, he signalled to four crows, then acknowledged Mr. Crow, walking closer. He cawed, “You know what to do”, and gave Harvey a knife. It was a nice knife, all things considered. Sharp, easily fit in one hand or could be pushed in by two if needed. No wonder the Lake loved it. He returned to the room and used the knife to cut the rope from the winch. The axe fell. Mr. Boar was dead.


	7. The Final Dinner

Harvey took the last round of ingredients to Mr. Toad, who whipped them up into one last meal. However, there was nobody to take it to! Mr. Crow appeared in the Dining Room, and suggested that he take them up to Mr. Owl. But Harvey felt a little nudge, and had one more thing to do. 

He took the room keys, collected after the demise of each inhabitant. After night had fallen, he matched the seal from each room with the seal on the lockbox and the correct key, then turned the latch. The box opened, revealing Mr. Owl’s favorite cigars. 

He took the elevator up to the second floor, and headed to the private room at the end of the hall. Entering, he saw Mr. Owl, seated in a comfortable chair, surrounded by the skulls of the former guests. He began to speak. 

“There we are, the last dinner. Thank you for all the memories.” He paused for a moment. “And Harvey… I am really glad you brought the cigars. The Lake would be grateful.” A strange buzzing sound filled the air. “Take a look at the black cubes, would you?” 

Harvey turned, seeing five storage tanks filled with clear liquid. In each floated a single black cube. As he looked closer at each one, it shivered, then formed an image of the one it was from. He turned back to Mr. Owl, who continued his usual cryptic speech. “The memories are not only the key to the past, but also to the future. Have a look”. He turned again, seeing the specters, then turned back and lifted the silver dome from the meal tray. There, a white cube sat. Tapping it once, he saw the In-Between, and fell in. The specters of the black cubes circled him, and cubes floated around him. Tapping each black cube, they vanished. He turned once more and saw an elevator. He followed it, getting closer and closer. There was a man in there. He had dark hair with streaks of grey and an off-orange suit. There was something about him, something that made Harvey a little on edge. He gave off an aura similar to Mr. Owl, except- not quite. Not final, not as neat. He could be, but on the other hand, he might not be. He turned back as the elevator rose into the Hotel. It would be fine. The Lake would ensure it would be so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it, folks, another Rusty Lake/Cube Escape story finished. My apologies for the long hiatus, but you're going to get another one. The next one in this series, Cube Escape: Birthday, will likely not be coming out until after November, as I have other projects I'm doing instead- for one, NaNoWriMo. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!
> 
> Leave a comment or kudo and tell me what you liked!


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